>I resent that my abilities are undermined because some employers like to use the educational system as a measuring stick to determine an employees worth over that of the verifiable prove of a hard earned and acquired skill.
>Does anyone agree with me?

I don't.

Measuring performance isn't very easy to do if a _prospective_ employer has nothing objective to hold up to evaluation. The employer you have knows whether you are good or not. The one you seek needs proof. Like it or not, a degree tends to be viewed as objective proof that you have some minimal level of intelligence, persistence, and ability -- even if it DOESN'T prove you can program your way out of a paper bag.

If you can accumulate proof, you won't get many questions about the degree. If you can't, no amount of explaining will help.

Like many others doing programming, my degree is in a non-CS field. But it is a technical degree, and it is from a good school. Nearly 15 years later, it still helps me get in doors.

I think my degree was well worth the time, energy, and money I spent to get it... and I have to say that if it means I get into a few more doors than someone that didn't go through the same effort I did... I'm GLAD! <g>